Ah, the last Tuesday report for 2020, and kicking off with my usual highlighting of anniversaries:

Today marks 48 years since Jeff Thompson and Max Walker debuted for Australia in Test cricket, 42 years since a certain Allan Robert Border debuted for Australia at the height of the World Series schism, and in 1994, Shane Warne took the first hat-trick in an Ashes Test in 90 years, capped off by David Boon’s epic one-hander at short leg on what was the Keg On Leg’s 34th birthday.

And on that note, it is Boonie’s 60th birthday today!

That is what peak performance looks like.

Most satisfying sporting moment to watch in 2020

Because I consider other sports that most people think are played by old farts, for me, the most satifying thing to watch was that shot by Nick Brett in the bowls World Indoor Championships back in January.

Have a look at that.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

Favourite ‘It Happens Moment’ Of 2020

Meg Lanning somehow surviving a certain runout against India in a T20 World Cup Warm-up, after the ball crashed off the cover for the stump mic and bounced out of harm’s way.

I think I might do more of those tomorrow as part of my ‘It Happens’ Awards.

Given Cricket Australia won’t bring in the DRS to the Big Bash because they’re tight arses, why don’t we make the stupidity of the competition more fun for the 18+ year old viewers

With a good old-fashioned drinking bingo game!

Now that’s fan interaction you can’t get at a stadium in these troubled times.

A ridgey didge fact

Going through them:

India: 2018 (Won on December 30) and 2020 (Won on December 29) Boxing Day Tests, plus the ODI on January 19, 2019

Melbourne: Round 7 (May 4) 2019, Round 14 (June 22) 2019, Round 16 (July 7) 2019

Carlton: Round 19 (July 27) 2019, Round 22 (August 17) 2019 & Round 4 (June 27) 2020

Play on, play on!

Another stat to sum up how far below mediocre Australia’s batting lineup have been

And further more, to sum up how disappointing this Boxing Day Test has been:

Well, we should remember that once you take their haircuts into account, Mohammed Siraj is pretty much the Indian Curtly Ambrose.

What is it with the Gabba and amazing one handed catches

Take a look through televised history.

Fatty Vautin:

Adam Dale:

Jordan Silk:

And on Sunday, there was D’Arcy Short with an absolute humdinger

And that guy in the crowd who just stuck his big right mit out and said “Watch this”

Did you know the A-League season started last night?

Fair dinkum, it’s like the suits in charge pretty much gave up after the New South Wales border restrictions kicked in and they couldn’t start on Boxing Day.

The Perth Cup on Saturday, minus the elephant juice

And it’ll be a throwback to the handicaps of the mid-20th century with Truly Great carrying 60kg in the New Years’ Classic, a seldom seen move from Bob Peters to even allow a horse of his to run with that weight in a staying race, let alone a Kingston Town Classic winner who has never won beyond 2200m.

Looking back through the record books, the only horse in modern times to even carry that kind of weight to victory over 3200m or 2400m was Delicacy with 59kg in 2016, which gives you some idea of what the favourite is up against, although he’s still going to start close to $2, because he’s got a certain Wizard on top.

Here’s Phil Gould with an important message about buying Seppo coffee machines

Thanks Gus.

The key takeaway from his sexting scandal is that Mitchell Pearce at least has experience screwing the pooch